Swiatek confesses the reason for her withdrawal: "There is a loose virus, I have felt horrible these last two days"

Carlos Navarro | 25 Apr 2026 | 18.36

Swiatek left Madrid in tears. Source: Getty

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Iga Swiatek had a fantastic opportunity ahead at the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 to establish the foundations of her new tennis alongside Francis Roig. The Polish player's words before the event highlighted how she was feeling the ball, expressing confidence in delivering a great performance at the Caja Mágica... but the worst news possible arrived in the form of a health issue, with a virus complicating her life, eventually forcing her to withdraw during a third-round match.

Those positive feelings beforehand haven't vanished into thin air, and she, herself, confirmed them in a press conference... but Iga couldn't hide the bitter taste left by ending this tournament prematurely, especially when an external factor played such a significant role in her downfall. Hence, the Polish player spoke to the media to reveal the process leading up to her withdrawal, outline her next steps before Rome, and make it clear that she is truly sad and disappointed by such an abrupt ending.

Swiatek reveals the reason for her withdrawal and warns the rest of the circuit to be careful

- The reason for her withdrawal, revealed and clear: a virus has knocked her out

"The past two days I've been feeling terrible. I think I have some kind of virus: I know you all want answers, but mainly, be cautious. Some hours I've been fine, but others I felt really bad. I heard there's something in the locker room, a virus going around, lurking somewhere out there. I know I'll be fine in a couple of days, but today I felt zero energy, zero stability.

I felt very unwell physically, yesterday was even worse. I thought maybe today things would be better, and maybe they were, but not enough to play properly. I knew it would be tough, but I still wanted to try because I've been ill a couple of times in my career and managed to win most of my matches. It depended on how bad I was feeling, and this time was much worse than the previous ones."

- What positive aspects does she take from her week and time in Madrid?

"I've had very good moments off the court. On court, before the tournament started I felt like I was playing really well. It's a shame for me to see that I can't play, that I'm unable to. I was feeling very comfortable with my game, taking steps forward in my process. That was positive, but the tournament had barely begun for me and today I couldn't even compete. It's disappointing. There aren't many positive things to take from it, honestly."

- Next steps before heading to Rome

"I wanted to give myself a chance and see how things were going. I haven't discussed the upcoming days with my team yet, the logistics before traveling to Rome. We'll probably go train somewhere else, as the conditions in Rome are completely different from those here. No matter, we have plenty of time; the first thing is to recover. I'll need a few days to shake off this virus, but I hope to be fine and ready in three or four days. Then I'll be ready to train."

- It's only her second on-court withdrawal in her entire career

"I felt like I could have a chance, but in the third set, I started feeling dizzy, with blurred vision, as if I had lost coordination. I couldn't even drink anything. I always feel full of energy on the court, and today the energy dropped dramatically. Until the third set started, I felt I had a chance, yes, but this is what happened. I don't remember the previous occasion when I withdrew. Rome? Yes, but that was an injury. I always want to try until the end, but if I feel I can't do it, like in Rome, there's no point in continuing."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek confiesa el motivo de su retirada: "Hay un virus suelto, me he sentido horrible estos últimos dos días"